Grain-separator



R. Z. BUSHAW. Grain Separator.

Patentd Dec. 21,1880.

)LFETERS PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES FATENT OFTTCE,

RUBY Z. BUSHAW, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,739, dated December 21, 188C.

Application lezl June '27', 1878.

To all whom it may concern Beitknown that LRUBY ZERILDABUSHAW, of Minneapolis, inthe county of Hennepin and State ofMiunesota, have invented certain novel and useful Improvements in Grain-separators, said improvements being more particularly adapted for that class of' such machines known as tanning-mills, which improvements are fully set forth in the following speciiication, reference beinghad to theaccompan ying drawings, in which- Figure I is a longitudinal sectional elevation in the plane indicated by line x x of Fig. II. Fig. Il is a transverse section in the plane ot' line z z', Fig. I; and Figs. III and IV are detail views ot' two of the sieve-s removed from 'the machine.

My invention 'will tirst be described, and then specicallypointed out in the claims.

A is the frame, properly encased. B is the fan, arranged in the upper part, at one end, ot' the mill, and arranged to `deliver' an under blast through the shoe, shown. O is the shoe, supported upon vibrating straps or links c a2 a?, Sto., and may be operated by any suitable means-as, for example, the transverse shaft O', provided with an eccentric and connected to the shoe O by a link having a yoke which embraces the eccentric-to receive a reciprocation lengthwise of the machine, or in the line ot' iiow ofthe grain.

The screens b b2 b3 b4 are supported upon ribs upon the interior sides of the shoe G. The upper screen, b', Fig. Ill, consists of a frame, c', provided at its upper or receiving end with fine-meshed wire-cloth d, covering about onethird ot' the length ofthe sieve-frame, and the remainder is covered with a wire-cloth, d', of coarser mesh. Beneath thener meshed cloth d the frame c is provided with a metallic bottom, which forms a chamber, c, from which spouts or conduits ff run along the sides of the frame c to the tail of the machine.

The lower or rear side of the chamber eis" made V formed, slantin g in each direction to the spouts ff. The second screen, b2, is set slanting toward the fanthat is, in a direction opposite to that of screen b-and is supplied with a chamber, h, beneath it, whose bottom inclines and discharges toward the tail ot' the machine. This second screen terminates not far forward ot' the middle of the shoe, above the third screen, b3, as shown, in sucha manner as to deliver the grain, &c., upon said screen near its upper end. This third screen, Fig. IV, consists ot'a frame, c2, iitting the interior of shoe C and provided with a chamber, e', similar to that in th'e upper screen, c', which is covered with a wirecloth, d2, and connected by means ot' conduits fzf, precisely similar to those of upper screen, c. The grain passes from cloth d2 between two guiding-cleats secured thereon. The lower portion of this frame c2 is ieft un covered, and opens directly upon fourth screen, b4, which consists of a frame having one side, o4, formed with a convex lower edge, while the lscreen is made in the form ot' a curved chute discharging transversely of the machine. By this arrangement relatively to the shoe the grain is, while heilig discharged, given a lateral rolling motion, which, while working it down, causes it to assume a position greatly facilitating its being freed from dirt, Src., by the mutual attrition of the berries and their rubbing on the wire-gauze, said impurities settling to the bot-tom and being discharged through the wire gauze of the spout into spout n, and thence out at the side of the machine. The rolling motion also causes the smaller grains to settle to the bottom and be separated before reaching spout F.

It will be observed that I obtain this vigorous bodily movement (transversely to the iiow of the grain) of the concave chute or screen by simply rigidly attaching the said chute transversely to the bottom `of the shoe. The grain passes from the chute or screen into a hopper, m, and thence into a spout, E, discharging nto an air-trunk or suction-spout, F, communicating at its upper end With a windchest or cheat-box, G, arranged on the side ol' the machine, communicating with the fan through` the eye t', and having` a hopper or chtite bottom delivering into an inclined passage, G, which passes under the machine to the opposite side thereof, where its dischargeopening is closed by a drop-valve, lc, serving to prevent the ingress of air at this point instead ot' through the wind-trunk F, and openroo ing only by the weight of light grain, Ste., when accumulated in quantities sufficient to force its own way out.

G2 is a valve fitting over a port in the side of the wind-chest to regulate the strength of the air-current in the spout F. The haring bottom of this spout F is provided with retarding wings or plates t t, to facilitate the separat-ion of the best and the inferior grains, &c.

1t is obvious that the corners of the windchest or cheat-box G may be rounded toprevent the formation of dead-air spaces or eddies and to deflect the current toward the fan from spout F.

The operation is as follows: The grain is fed into the hopper H, and passes thence through the opening regulated by the ordinary slide H onto line sieve d, and thence down over the coarse cloth d', which suffers it to pass through. freed of its coarsest foreign matter, upon the reversely-inclined screen b2, thence over screen b3 into the concave screen b4, and nally is discharged into perpendicular air-trunk F.

When the grain first strikes screen b it is not acted on by the air-blast, being shielded therefrom by the solid bottom of chamber e. rlhis permits the settling through and escaping, by way ofconduits fj", ofmany of the finer impurities, lessening the amount of dust, &c., blown about usually by such machines. o

The air-current, as shown, will pass through screens d d2, and when the grain reaches spout F it is freed of light and shrunken berries and ofdirt dislodged by the action of screen o4 by the upward draft, which carries them into cheatbox Gr.

My machine is especially useful in cleaning seed-wheat, as the perfect purity ofthe first or best grade is assured.

The imperforate bottom e of screen d2 permits the grain to be isolated from thc blast and a. free separation of fine particles to take place through the screen by the agitation of the shoe at this point, as in the case of the upper screen. The open lower portion of screenframe c2 permits the grain while falling to be exposed to a blast which is allowed by the same opening to escape upwardly and outwardly, while the imperforate bottom of the chamber h, which is located directly above the open lower portion of sieve-frame c2, serves to discharge the impurities falling through screen b2, and prevent them falling through the opening of sieve-frame c2 and being remingled with the grain. This is the specic relation of these parts.

I claim as my invention- 1.. The combination of blast-fan B, screen b2, inclined toward the fan, sieve-frame c2, inclined oppositely thereto and provided at its upper portion with sieve d2 and imperforate bottom e', and having its lower portion left open or clear for the passage of air and grain, and the chamber h, having imperforate bottom, arranged above the clear or open portion of sieve-frame o2, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. rlhe combination, in a grain-separator, of a reciprocating shoe or frame and a concave wire-gauze cleaning and discharging conduit rigidly secured to said frame or shoe trailsversely of the line of reciprocaton thereof, substantially as and for the purpose hereiubefore set forth.

3. The combination of a blast-fan, a longitudinally-reiprocating shoe provided with sieves and having a concave wire-gauze cleaning-conduit rigidly secured beneath and to said shoe transversely of the line of reciprocation thereof, and a suction air-trunk receiving the grain as it is discharged from said shoe, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof [have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- UGSSGS.

RUBY ZERILDA BUSHA W.

Witnesses G. N. WooDwARD, LoUIs FEESER. 

